The Downside of "Let the Fans Decide"

An L.A. Times article picked up by other papers talks about what happens when a minor-league baseball team lets the fans pick the starting lineups (link via voting-based social link sharing site Digg -- as some commenters in that thread point out, just because something uses voting, doesn't mean it's using the "digg model.")

The Schaumburg Flyers, a minor-league baseball team in Illinois, are letting fans vote online to pick the starting lineups as part of an Internet reality show.

Ostensibly, this is an experiment to tap in to the "Wisdom of Crowds", but come on: It's a publicity stunt.

Well, the team is in last place, but attendance is up. A lot of folks, including the players and manager, aren't happy, though, since...

Well, there's no diplomatic way to put this: They aren't happy because the fan-voted lineups mostly suck:

"When LivePlanet producers handed him the fans' lineup, [manager] McCauley erupted. After playing every game the first half of the season, Josue Lopez, a slugging first baseman from Trabuco Canyon, Calif., was riding the pine. Cole, the center fielder, was starting at first base, where he hadn't played in four years, and backup catcher Ryan Walker was manning third base (McCauley had listed the players as eligible at those positions but had no idea fans would start them there.)"

Part of the problem is that everyone's vote counts the same, so whether you're a hardcore fan of the team, casual baseball watcher, or complete baseball know-nothing, your vote carries the same weight. (Then again, I guess you could say the same thing about political elections.)

In subsequent games, the voting Web site listed statistics and manager's recommendations, which has smoothed things out, though the team still isn't doing so good.

On the plus side, they should be thankful that Monponsett isn't voting, or else the outfielders would be equipped with sniper rifles or something.

Thanks -- Joe

Tags: Schaumburg Flyers, digg model, wisdom of crowds, monponsett